Get a price range you are comfortable with spending. Go to the gun store and shoulder every gun in your price range and go with which one that fits you best. You will get that gut feeling when you shoulder the right one. Just like trucks, if you stick with the Big 3 you can't go wrong. In the shotgun world(my opinion) that would be Benelli, Beretta, Browning. If you don't want to drop $1000+ look into Stoeger, Franchi. They are lighter on the wallet and made by Benelli.

3.5's are not necessary, I stopped shooting 3.5's years ago. It is nice to have the option. Especially when it comes to chasing cripples, you run out and your buddy tosses you a whammy round. Or if you run out of shells, it's 4 am and that's all that Meijer or Brawl Mart has available.

3.5's are a waste of money and do little more than condition the body to flinch through the cumulative affect of recoil. Makes little difference how macho you are. The extra 1/8 ounce or so of pellets truly aren't worth it.

Big green pumping out cheap junk. The only way I'd ever spend anymore of my money on a Remington would be if it was 20+ years old. I'm a bit jaded with their newer stuff. I will admit I have no experience with the versa and v3 though. They sound reputable but I'm still suspect.

Since you asked for a gun opinion and I haven't spouted my yearly recommendation, I'll just throw a few things out there. First, fit is everything. Pick a spot on the ceiling, throw the gun up with your eyes closed and then open when you think you're there. Do it a couple times. Try it with a 3 or more guns. The feel and the fit will show itself. Your better guns will have shims to more refine your POA and POI when you get some time at the range.

As for actions; pumps, semi-autos, or break actions are personal choice. I have a number of them in all 3. Pumps are generally less expensive, but introduce human error. 870s, Novas, and BPS are all good. Break actions are usually heavier for SxS and O/U. You're limited to 2 shells at most in a volley. Auto-loaders, gas or inertia, are my favorite. They can be a bit finicky sometimes, but if you treat them right they go bang every time. I've had Benellis and Berettas. I prefer the Beretta because it's a gas gun and my recoil is nil. I own 2. One is a 3" and is 20 years old this season. The other is 3.5" and on its inaugural season. Both work great, clean or dirty. Both soften recoil measurably with the new one having Kick-Off. As for 3.5", I only really shoot it late season. To each his own.

So, if I had to pick a gun for a new duck hunter that's getting into the sport, my choice would be...the Beretta Outlander 12 ga. It's a 3" 12 that has the 500 year old Beretta name behind it and it won't break the bank at Dick's for $599. My guess is that gun will hold it's value for a long time.

Big green pumping out cheap junk. The only way I'd ever spend anymore of my money on a Remington would be if it was 20+ years old. I'm a bit jaded with their newer stuff. I will admit I have no experience with the versa and v3 though. They sound reputable but I'm still suspect.

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I own both. Long time gun guy and shotgunner. Very impressed with both.

good to see so many wise waterfowlers talking remington - almost 60 years of using them here.
bought a benelli long ago. sold it after using it 6 times.
my 870 supermag did not shoot today - an amazing surprise. i had it cleaned in spring, had not used it this year, after minor repair at the gun shop - they screwed something up. the 870 is the mainstay of our sport, so dependable when the temp dips below 30
bough a versa max and could not hit a thing with it. missed a turkey at 25 yards, so my friend got a magazine, set it up on sticks. not one bb hit the open magazine at 25 yards - entire load went right of the mag. took it in, and it was not lined up right, so they adjusted the shims. now i am smoking them (probably over .500 all year) with it, and with the v3 i bought when i was about to throw the versa max in the lake
am experiencing some ejection issues with both in the last few weeks, but there have been alot of shells thru each during this really hot duck season (all time record kill for us) - a little rem oil solved the issue with the versa max today while in the field, then i smoked 5 of the next 7 to finish early

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Founded in 1999, Michigan-Sportsman.com started as a collection of links to Michigan related sites, and a series of manually edited blogs. It was a marriage of my passions for the outdoors and the internet. In late 1999, we started our first message board. It was one of Michigan's first social networks. Many off-site friendships have formed with others who share the same interests in the outdoors through the site. Thanks for your patronage - Steve